


Shattered Vase

by CaithyCat



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Angst, Jealous TJ, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-18 18:49:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19340461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaithyCat/pseuds/CaithyCat
Summary: T.J. finds out what happened to the shirt Cyrus was supposed to give him.





	Shattered Vase

Impatiently tapping his foot against the floor, T.J. stared at the school’s entrance door, hoping that the person he wanted to see would just show up. He woke up early so he could come into school before Kira did (she normally didn't get there until much later). He could at least have a half hour to himself.

Hanging out with her was fun but  _exhausting_! Sure, he finally had someone new to play basketball with but she was so darn clingy, T.J. felt like he couldn’t breathe around her. He was always tense, afraid to make the wrong move or say the wrong things. And she had this way of making him do things he didn’t really want to and he hated it. He hated that she knew how to play him.

“Come on, Cy,” he muttered under his breath, his hands tightly gripping the straps of his backpack. “Where are you? You’re always early.”

As if answering him, the door opened and Cyrus entered, chattering animatedly to Jonah.

T.J. felt his lips quirk as he pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and jogged towards the two boys.

“Hey,” he greeted.

Jonah beamed. “Hey, T.J.”

To T.J.’s disappointment, Cyrus managed only a small smile and a soft, “Hey.”

That wasn’t his usual greeting. He always greeted T.J. with a huge smile that lit up his whole face. He had changed since Costume Day. He said he wasn’t avoiding T.J. but the latter couldn’t help but wonder if he was lying.

“You wanna hang out after school?” T.J. asked before he lost his nerve.

It was kinda funny (and by funny, he meant strange). He never had a problem asking Cyrus to hang out before. 

Why was he suddenly so anxious and uneasy?

“Aren’t you hanging out with Kira?” Cyrus replied, almost bitterly.

Caught off-guard, T.J.’s brow furrowed. He opened his mouth to answer but the other boy continued, “I mean, I figured you two might have something going on. You always do.”

So, he was definitely still upset about that. And, somehow, T.J. couldn’t blame him. He had been kind of preoccupied with Kira but he wanted to correct that now. 

He was trying. He hoped Cyrus could see it.

“And we have something after school anyway,” Jonah added with a shrug.

T.J.’s eyes flew to the dimpled boy for the first time since the two entered. “Oh? What are you guys doing?”

“Commu-.”

“Hey, Jonah, I’m gonna go ahead, okay?” Cyrus interrupted, giving the other boy a soft smile.

T.J. felt his chest twitch with a burst of irritation. But, not at Cyrus. Never at Cyrus.

“Oh, sure, Cy. See you later.”

“See you.” Cyrus finally turned to T.J. and nodded. “I’ll see you around, Teej.”

The nickname kind of made him feel better. Just a little. At least Cyrus wasn’t completely mad at him. He hoped.

Now that Cyrus was gone and left him alone with Jonah, T.J. kind of felt awkward now. It wasn’t like the two immediately became best friends after the whole jersey number fiasco. But, they acknowledged each other now and then. Besides, he was Cyrus’ best guy friend so T.J. knew it was best to get along with him.

“So… you and Kira, huh?” Jonah said, casually.

T.J. groaned. “Why does everyone keep assuming we’re a couple? We’re not!”

Jonah furrowed his brow. “Oh. Sorry about that, dude. I see you guys together around school a lot so I just thought you were a thing.”

“Well, we’re not. We’re just…friends.”

Even that felt kind of fake to T.J. but what else could he describe her as?

Just some girl he hung out and played basketball with? More people would assume they were dating, then. 

Girl who knew how to manipulate him into doing stuff she wanted? Yeah, that would not go over well (even if it was true).

“Okay, cool.”

The atmosphere got awkward again.

T.J. was about to just say goodbye to Jonah and try to find Cyrus again when he finally got a good look at the other boy in front of him. More specifically, he got a good look at the shirt he was wearing. It looked oddly familiar…

“Nice shirt…” he ended up saying.

Jonah beamed. “Thanks! Cyrus gave it to me!”

And, just like that, T.J. felt his whole body go cold.

He finally remembered.

The shirt.

Cyrus was going to give him that shirt. Or, at least, a shirt that looked like it. Maybe it was a different shirt.

But, he swore it was the same one.

“W-Where did he get it?” he casually asked, cursing the way his voice broke.

“At that free sale market we did the other day.”

T.J.’s chest tightened even more.

“O-Oh… Cool.”

Cyrus had texted him about the market. He even invited T.J. to come but he was with Kira at the park because she wanted to feed the ducks. 

He couldn’t be mistaken. It was definitely the same shirt.

Cyrus gave Jonah the shirt he was going to give T.J.

Just like that, something broke inside him. He didn’t even know it was possible. 

It felt like the time when he was eight and he accidentally broke his aunt’s crystal vase. The shattering sound it made when it hit the floor. The pieces scattered all over. Some of the shards had even cut him.

It felt exactly like that. Except this time, the vase was his heart.

And just like his 8-year-old self, he had no idea how to put it all back together. So, he just stood there, staring.

“You and Cyrus are really close,” he blurted out before he could stop himself.

“Uh, yeah, I guess.”

Jonah looked really confused now, probably wondering why T.J. was asking him all these questions in the middle of the hallway before class. T.J. hadn’t let him go to his locker. But the boy was too polite to just rush off in the middle of the conversation.

Was that why Cyrus liked hanging out with Jonah? Cause they were both just so nice? 

T.J. wasn’t nice. He could say he was a much more decent person now than he was before, but definitely not always nice.

Cyrus might argue otherwise, though. He always thought the best of him.

The thought almost made T.J. smile.

“I mean, we hang out a lot. Like, this weekend, we went camping!”

T.J. raise an eyebrow at that. “Camping? Cyrus?”

Jonah chuckled. “Yeah, I was pretty surprised too. But, he wanted to watch the meteor shower.”

T.J. frowned. “And he asked you?”

Not that there was anything wrong with Jonah, but T.J. would have been down to camp and watch a meteor shower. Why didn’t Cyrus ask him?

“I guess Andi and Buffy were busy. But, it was kinda fun.” Jonah laughed. “Reminded me kind of like a date, honestly.”

T.J. felt himself go cold again. “Y-You went on a date with Cyrus?” he almost screeched.

“Dude, chill, I said it was like a date, not that it was one.”

Jonah was giving him a strange look now. He had to dial it down.

“I don’t think he realized,” the brunette continued anyway. "But I didn’t want to make him feel embarrassed so I didn’t say anything. But, I gotta be honest.” He smiled, fondly. “Whoever Cyrus dates is gonna be one lucky gu-… person.”

“Oh.”

T.J. couldn’t argue with that. Cyrus was a great guy. 

A really great guy who only deserved the best.

Someone who treasured him and didn’t hurt him.

Someone who wasn’t T.J.

“Um, so, is there anything else you wanna ask me?” Jonah asked, hesitant.

T.J. shook his head, ignoring the stinging in his eyes. “No,” he croaked. “Sorry.”

Without even saying goodbye, he turned on his feels and rushed off.

What was happening to him? Why was he feeling so crappy all of a sudden?

Just because Cyrus gave Jonah a shirt he said he was gonna give T.J.?

Just because Cyrus went camping and watched a meteor shower with Jonah and not T.J.?

Just because Cyrus has always had Jonah by his side whereas T.J. had disappointed and hurt him over and over again?

T.J. froze in his tracks.

Cyrus was standing at his locker, laughing as he talked to the guy who owned the locker next to his.

What was the guy’s name? Cyrus mentioned him before. Did it even matter? T.J. didn’t actually care.

But, Cyrus was smiling. He was laughing. And it wasn’t T.J. in front of him.

It was the first time in days since he had seen Cyrus’ smile and heard his laugh.

He missed them.

He missed him.

As if feeling the eyes on him, Cyrus turned his head and locked eyes with him. For a few tense seconds, they just stared at each other. T.J. couldn’t read his eyes. They were so guarded. They were never like that around him before. He always prided himself in always being able to read Cyrus like an open book. But, now, it was like he was under lock and key.

T.J. took a step towards him.

Cyrus’ face twisted with alarm. Hurriedly, he slammed his locker shut and said goodbye to the guy he was talking to. Then, flashing T.J. a brief and quick nod of acknowledgment, he rushed off.

And T.J. knew that Cyrus  _hated_  running.

He really messed up this time.

How could he fix this?

He couldn’t let this end like it did with that vase.

He had to fix this. 


End file.
